How is the use of a vaudeville style show in Act Two used to explore the attitudes of white society towards First Nations in the Victorian era?
The term “Indian” to describe the first peoples of North America carries a heavy weight of history with it. In the play “Almighty Voice and his Wife” by Daniel David Moses the tale of a Cree man in Saskatchewan who is the target of one of Canada’s most famous manhunts. The script is played out on the stage in two very diverse acts, the first act is a romantic retelling of the story and the second act becoming a theatrical vaudeville show. The use of vaudeville theatre by Moses in the second act highlights white society’s goal of making the vanishing Indian myth a reality. In the start of Act Two white girl is now in white face along with being dressed in a red serge uniform which for centuries represented the colonial power to the first nations. In the role of the Interlocutor the character is in control of the show and begins making raciest comments to Almighty Voice to gain his attention who is also in white face and has taken on the role as his Ghost. “Here, here, I said. What’s the meaning of this? Come on, use the queen’s tongue, or I’ll sell you to a cigar store” is one of the opening lines from the Interlocutor and displays a plausible attitude of a white male of that time period. The use of white face is a parody of the racist practice of using black face in traditional vaudeville theatre to depict African Americans. This role reversal serves as an excellent way of showing the ridiculous mind-set of the imposing power of the time who states “the only good Indians are the dead ones”. The theatricalizing of First Nations stereotypes through a variety show format breaks the fourth wall with song and dance and has the audience reconsidering their view of Canadian history.
